Lonzo Ball did more good than bad in his rookie season for the Los Angeles Lakers. He certainly had his share of media coverage, thanks to his dad, the loudmouthed LaVar Ball. Given all the hype surrounding him, it was nearly impossible to live up to all of it.
Ball had all the pressure in the world on him, and it led to both highs and lows for the young guard. Nonetheless, he did have some nice numbers in year one. Ball posted averages of 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game.
His vision and crisp passing were a pleasure to watch, particularly in the open floor. Those are timeless skills that can be utilized in any offensive system, and with L.A. adding LeBron James, Ball’s outlet passes will be even more deadly.
Plus as our own Austin Williams highlighted, “Lonzo’s basketball IQ is only going to get better playing with James and Rajon Rondo, two of the best playmakers of the last decade on his roster.”
His relationship with head coach Luke Walton should be improved as well after a full season. In terms of Ball’s first area of improvement, it’s simple, really. He needs to score in more areas on the floor. A guard has to shoot better than 36.0 percent from the field, especially with the pressure of now having James on the team with him.
Next Up: Improvement Area 3
